When I started at Manchester School of Architecture 2 years ago, I was overwhelmed by the numerous facilities, opportunities, events, workshops and the list goes on. It is important to know that it’s normal to be feeling this way. I had come straight from a small town on the south coast and moving to such a big city was a huge change for me.

Manchester School of Architecture is split between The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University, and you’ll find yourself spending time at both university campuses. This means you get access to both libraries, workshops, computer labs etc. I recommend using the libraries as much as possible for any research, as well as the online libraries that you’ll have access to.

One of the things that is so good about the course is the large variety of extracurricular activities. There are opportunity to attend lectures, workshops, software tutorials, debates, talks, society events, competitions, design talks and guest lectures. Last year, we were lucky enough to host Sir Norman Foster for an amazing lecture! You can get involved in as much or as little of these as you like, but I highly recommend taking all the opportunities you can to make the most of the course.

If there are any skills you would like to learn during your time here, there will be plenty of chances to do so. You’ll have access to two model-making workshops; B.15 and the Chatham workshop. Both are really great, with very helpful and skilled staff ready to help you with your projects. However, you must be inducted in each before you can use them so make sure you sign up for online induction sessions for both. Model-making workshops run most weeks in Manchester Technology Centre, the new home of the school. In terms of digital design, there are free workshops every week, run by the ADD team which can be really helpful to get you started with a wide range of software. The ADD team are based in Manchester Technology Centre and are always ready to help students with their work. You can also book private tutorials with them on moodle. If hand drawing is your thing, there are also drawing workshops throughout the duration of the course to help you improve or even start your journey. Ensure you regularly check your emails so you do not miss out on these, as this is where you will hear about all the amazing opportunities.

The new home of the school, Manchester Technology Centre, is always alive with activity. I highly recommend coming here to do your work even if you do not have anything scheduled as you’ll be surrounded by architecture students from all years, even the Masters students. There are large studio spaces, private study rooms, private lockers, meeting rooms, kitchens and a new, high-spec computer lab worth over £200,000! These computers have lots of free software so there’s no pressure to have a really good laptop or computer (although it helps) as this lab is open every weekday. You can also come here to print up to A1, with a specialist always available to help you.

Lots of people start their degree thinking they need to be amazing at drawing, or using software, or modelling, or have a vast knowledge of architecture. This is not the case. This degree encourages you to use your strengths as best as possible, and it encourages you to tackle your weaknesses. You’ll gradually improve your knowledge throughout your time. If you throw yourself into the course, attend workshops, lectures and tutorials, and are passionate about developing your architectural design techniques, then you will definitely succeed here.

Written by Jamie, current BA Architecture student at The University of Manchester

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